What are the most expensive essential oils in the world?
There is a wide range of sought-after essential oils on the market, each of which offers its own unique set of qualities that drives the high prices demanded by sellers.
We’ve explored the most expensive essential oils you can buy, outlining the healing properties and distinct fragrances which give them their premium status.
The Most Expensive Essential Oils In The World
This article covers the most exclusive and luxurious essential oils, discussing how much you can expect to pay per ounce and what you’ll get for your hard-earned money.
Here’s our list of the 10 most expensive essential oils in the world:
10. Neroli Oil – $354 Per Oz
Neroli essential oil is a creation of the distant past, having first been produced in 17th century Italy and worn by Princess Anne Marie Orsini of Nerola.
As you might expect from an essential oil made for the influential – and incredibly rich – Orsini family, this oil costs an impressive $354 per ounce.
Created from the flower of a bitter orange tree, Neroli essential oil actually gives off a sweet scent and is used by perfume makers looking for a sweet and spicy aroma.
As well as smelling fantastic, this oil is also well regarded for its anti-inflammatory properties and is often used as a means of relieving stress and anxiety.
Other benefits which justify the Neroli essential oil cost include its ability to give your skin a more youthful appearance, reducing the visibility of any scars and blemishes you apply it to.
High blood pressure, other skin conditions, and even depression are also thought to be relieved by applying Neroli oil, which increases its desirability – and high price tag.
There are even claims that Neroli oil is used in the processing of Coca-Cola, although such claims have yet to be backed up with evidence, and its high price makes it unlikely to be used in such an affordable beverage.
9. Sandalwood Essential Oil – $492 Per Oz
Some of the most expensive perfumes in the world are made using Sandalwood, which is commonly grown in India and is widely used for various purposes.
Sandalwood essential oil is an expensive solution to a range of health issues, including coughs and the common cold, as well as a selection of skin conditions.
Trees used for sandalwood oil need to be aged between 40 and 80 years old if you want to extract the full benefits from its wood, which is drawn out of the tree’s roots.
Also used as an anti-inflammatory and general pain relief medicine, sandalwood essential oil costs $492 per ounce, making it out of reach for most people to include in their medicine cabinets.
As well as being used for health reasons, sandalwood essential oil is deeply associated with religious practices and has been used in a number of ceremonies in Eastern cultures.
The wood itself is often used for incense sticks, emitting a distinct woody scent when burned during rituals.
Restrictions on the cultivation of sandalwood trees in India is one reason why sandalwood essential oil fetches such a high price, with the government imposing strict controls on how many trees can be grown and when they can be harvested.
As a result, perfumes and other cosmetics, including sandalwood essential oil in their ingredients, also sell for large sums of money, giving perfumes and aftershaves a distinctly earthy and fresh base note.
8. Elecampane Essential Oil – $560 Per Oz
The horse heal flower from which the Elecampane essential oil derives from resembles the more familiar sunflower plant and is used for a variety of purposes.
The creation of the notorious drink absinthe is one used for horse heal, a drink which was made illegal due to its ability to send people insane.
As well as being used to create absinthe, this rare species of plant is used for essential oils, and the results when using this highly prized and extremely rare plant are much more pleasurable than its alcoholic counterpart.
Elecampane essential oil is also noted for its ability to support a healthy immune system and improve circulation.
The roots and leaves of the plant are where all the goodness lies, and their application as an essential oil can help with detoxification and aid a healthy metabolism.
Muscle spasms, liver problems, and inflammation issues can all be eased with Elecampane essential oil, and there are even reports it can help alleviate asthma and bronchitis.
Horse heal plants are indigenous to Europe and some regions of Asia, with deeper historic roots linking them to Ancient Greece and the mythical Helen’s tears. The plant grows in the wilds of St. Helena island.
At $560 for one ounce, Elecampane is one of the more expensive essential oils in the world you can buy, with a sweet floral aroma in addition to its many healing properties.
7. Seaweed Absolute Oil – $650 Per Oz
Some of the most expensive essential oils in the world are derived from unusual substances, such as Seaweed Absolute essential oil.
Seaweed Absolute essential oil takes advantage of the minerals, vitamins, and other enzymes found in seaweed and transforms them into an essential oil rich in valuable properties.
Application of Seaweed Absolute essential oil to the skin can help with hydration and be used as a cuticle softener.
It also works well to detoxify the body, helping aid with good digestion and improve heart functionality.
The seaweed used in the Absolute essential oil can be found off the coasts of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and in the coastal regions of the North and Baltic Seas.
The original source of iodine, its blended aroma, which contains an undertone of leather, makes it an exceptional choice for a range of natural perfumes, lending it a body and depth usually found in some of the world’s most expensive coffees.
If you’re interested in adding this essential oil to your collection, an ounce will set you back $650, although there are lots of alternatives bearing a similar name that come at a fraction of the cost.
6. Rose Essential Oil – $800 Per Oz
Floral essential oils are among the most commonly used, and the Rose essential oil is made from perhaps the most well-known flower in the world.
Roses are a traditional ingredient in many perfumes, and rose oil is made by extracting the essence from two particular kinds of rose petals, the absolutes, and the ottos.
It’s a thick and heavily concentrated essential oil that can help people with heart issues lower their heart rates, and its properties also include regulating blood pressure.
Rose essential oil is sometimes used to assist with the relief of pain in people who have just had surgery, and it has antibacterial and antifungal properties, among its other health benefits.
As it is made from rose petals, it’s also a popular essential oil for perfumes and other beauty products, and it takes an estimated four tons of rose petals to make a single pound of rose essential oil.
This means a single drop of rose essential oil contains rose flower petals from approximately 30 rose plants, giving a highly concentrated scent that lasts for a long time.
Given the vast weight of petals required to produce such a small quantity, it’s no surprise that rose essential oil is highly sought after will cost a whopping $800 per ounce.
5. Agarwood Oil – $850 Per Oz
Also known as Oud oil, Agarwood essential oil is another expensive essential oil derived from a rare tree.
The Agarwood tree is listed as an endangered species and grows over a long period in a handful of regions in Southeast Asia and New Zealand before it’s ready to use as an essential oil ingredient.
The oil itself comes from the bark once the bark has been covered in a mold – it’s from this mold that a film of resin comes, increasing the useful properties of this essential oil.
Agarwood essential oil is believed to have calming properties that increase demand and is used to treat nervous disorders and cure depression.
As well as helping to reduce stress, Agarwood essential oil also works to relieve pain, while its sedative-like properties make it an effective substance to induce sleep.
The production and harvesting of the Agarwood tree are tightly controlled and combined with the patience required to wait for the prerequisite mold to be present; this means that just one ounce will cost you $850.
In addition to its various health benefits, Agarwood oil is noted for its exceptionally sweet and woody fragrance, although its high cost makes it the kind of product used only by the richest models in the world.
4. Cannabis Flower Oil – $946 Per Oz
The word “cannabis” often conjures up images of famous rappers such as Snoop Dogg, who often create controversy by smoking it at the Superbowl and other high-profile events.
But this powerful plant is known for a wide range of medicinal benefits as well as being an illegal recreational drug, as the cannabis flower, essential oil demonstrates.
Cannabis flower essential oil can be used in everything from soaps and candles to perfumes and medicines, as well as a wide range of alternative cosmetics.
The unique properties of cannabis essential oil come from the white crystals that form on the flower, which no other plant in the world produces.
Also known as hemp oil, cannabis oil extraction consists of a lower level of THC. It doesn’t have the same properties found in its recreational variation but can still be used as alternative medicine.
It can be used to cure respiratory ailments, help with insomnia, and like its recreational counterpart, is an excellent way to increase your appetite.
Oil from the cannabis plant is also known to help treat cancer patients, increasing its immense popularity and driving the price to around $946 for just an ounce.
While the richest rappers in the world are more likely to be found smoking the illegal version of cannabis, its use as an essential oil has given it a much broader appeal and application.
3. Frangipani Oil – $1,500 Per Oz
Frangipani absolute essential oil is produced using one of the rarest species of plants on the planet, found only on the Comoros Islands in France.
The oil extracted from the Frangipani flower is renowned for its powerful sweet and floral scent, with exotic spice notes adding to its intense aroma.
With such a fragrance, Frangipani essential oil is frequently used by high-end perfume makers, as well as a variety of other cosmetics you’d be hard pushed to track down outside the most expensive hotels and perfumeries.
As well as being used in high-class perfumes, Frangipani essential oil can also be used to alleviate skin irritations, its application promoting clean and healthy skin and even reducing the appearance of stretch marks.
It can also be used to help reduce stress and inflammation, while its calming effects make it a useful oil to treat anxiety and nervous conditions.
Its complex blend of fragrances and antioxidants makes Frangipani absolute essential oil one of the most expensive essential oils in the world, with an ounce costing $1,500.
2. Tuberose Absolute Oil – $1,600 Per Oz
Tuberose absolute essential oil is produced using the incredibly rare species of flowers cultivated in Mexico and is favored for its wide applications.
The oil extraction derives from the flower part of the plant, with the petals infused in palm oil, then separated through steam distillation.
It’s one of the most luxurious essential oils you can buy, with the tuberose essence used in expensive perfumes and fragrances, as well as for aromatherapy.
This essential oil is also widely considered to work as a powerful aphrodisiac, which no doubt explains why it fetches an impressive $1,600 per ounce.
Tuberose plants grow in Southeast Asia and the United States, with their tiny white petals blooming on long stems and giving off its distinguished, powerful scent.
Because of the plant’s small size, extraction can be very time-consuming, with the resulting oil producing a sweet smell of peaches with a hint of herbs.
As well as being used in love potions, Tuberose absolute essential oil is said to help clear your head and improve the clarity of thought and is also taken to help relieve insomnia.
As with some other expensive oils featured here, it can also work well to reduce skin conditions such as acne and treat inflammatory ailments.
Its calming qualities make this a great product for people looking for new healthy habits to help you hit your goals and to clear your head so you can focus on what matters the most.
1. Champaca Absolute Oil – $2,200 Per Oz
At a hefty $2,200 per ounce, Chamomile essential oil is the kind of high-end product only those who can afford the world’s most expensive yachts will have at their disposal.
Champaca white essential oil has a long history as a treatment for depression and has been used for centuries to help relieve headaches and even vertigo.
Its regenerative properties also make it an essential oil for a range of skin conditions, healing acne wounds and smoothing out wrinkles and other issues with poor complexion.
As with many other expensive essential oils, it’s a popular oil for perfumes, with a floral scent that combines with a citrus note to deliver a beautiful fragrance.
The Champaca flower is part of the Magnolia family and shares its rich white flowers with attractive, elongated petals.
Champaca white essential oil is commonly found in Indian households for hormonal imbalances, abdominal cramps, and other ailments.
It’s also another aphrodisiac, increasing its overall allure and popularity and driving its high price and desirability.
Summary
The most expensive essential oils in the world are derived from some of the rarest flowers and trees available, valued for their exceptional fragrances and medicinal benefits.
This article has covered the best oils money can buy, so you know what to expect if you feel like splashing out on an exclusive gift – or just want to treat yourself on a special occasion.
The most expensive essential oils can change over time as the scarcity of ingredients changes, so be sure to check back on this article for the latest information.
Here’s a quick recap of the 10 most expensive essential oils in the world:
- Chamomile essential oil
- Tuberose essential oil
- Frangipani oil
- Cannabis flower oil
- Agarwood oil
- Rose essential oil
- Seaweed absolute essential oil
- Elecampane essential oil
- Sandalwood essential oil
- Neroli essential oil
Which most expensive essential oil is your favorite? Leave a comment below.
